Stove-lantern apparatus



Oct. 27, 1964 P. BENcoE 3,154,065

STOVE-LANTERN APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 27, 1964 P. BENCOE STOVE-LANTEIRN APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zz'gJ.

ATTORNEYS INVENTOR Oct. 27, 1964 P. BENCOE 3,154,065

STOVEI-LANTERN APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR faul .3e/Jawa) LM LJ BY VW ATToRNEYs 3,154,065 STOVE-LANTERN APPARATUS Paul Bencoe, Albuquerque, N. Mex., assignor to South- West International, Inc., Albuquerque, N. Mex., a corporation of New Mexico Filed Apr. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 190,584 9 Claims. (Cl. 126-44) This invention is a iiuid fuel burning apparatus which may be used as a stove for light cooking and/ or heating, or as a lantern.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined stove-lantern apparatus which is simple and economical in construction, etlicient in operation and which may be dismantled and/ or assembled with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is designed so that when dismantled, the several parts thereof may be rearranged in a compact manner for storage or shipment.

An important aspect of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which may be readily and safely and economically packed for transportation to the places of intended, regular or emergency use, such as encampments, bivouacs, picnic grounds, fallout shelters and the like, and for storage before and after transportation, and for shipment to various remote areas of the world where gas and electricity are not readily available to the average citizen, and to this end, the invention provides also a novel package or kit including the stovelantern, all of its parts and accessories, as well as a supply of fuel catridges for use therewith, and special intertitting containers for packing the several parts and articles into a single compact unit for shipping.

The manner in which these and other objects of the invention are realized will be understood from a reading of the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a generally vertical sectional view of the apparatus as assembled for use,

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken of line 2 2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevation of the upper compartment of the stove, which houses the burner unit,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of one form of burner unit supporting plate,

FIG. 5 is a fragmental detail view in section showing the manner of operatively associating the burner head with a fuel cartridge,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of a modified form of burner head,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 of a combined cooking and lantern burner head,

FIG. 9 is a fragrnental detail elevation partly is section, showing a modified form of a fuel cartridge carrier, together with a cartridge therein,

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the cartridge and carrier shown in FIG. 9,

FIG. ll is a vertical sectional view of the inner container of the shipping package showing the fuel cartridges therein,

FIG. 12 is a top plan of the inner container unit of FIG. 11,

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view of the shipping package and its contents with parts broken away,

assises Patented Oct. 27, 1964 ice FIG. 14 is a detail view of a modified form of door mounting,

FIG. l5 is a detail View of a modified form vof constructing the glass side panels 21, and

FIG. 16 shows a modified form of fuel cartridge and burner cap utilizing liquid fuel.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown preferred forms of my invention, but it will be understood that the drawings are but for the purpose of illustration and not to be considered as defining the limits of my invention.

General Description As shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention comprises a lower base member indicated generally at 1, an upper burner compartment member 2, and a burner unit 3, the latter being disposed in the burner compartment 2 as shown. The burner compartment member 2 is mounted upon the upper end of the lower base member 1, as shown.

When not in use, means are provided of arranging the apparatus in dismantled condition in compact form for storage or for ready and safe shipping.

The Base The base member 1 comprises a top plate 4, and side walls or panels 5 connected to the top plate, preferably at the edges thereof as shown, and depending therefrom to form a box-like construction, open at the bottom as shown at 6. The respective side walls or panels 5 are connected to adjacent panels as at '7, to form a substantially rigid base to support the upper burner compartment.

The top plate 4 of the base member 1 is provided with a generally centrally disposed aperture or opening 8 of a size and shape to receive the burner unit 3 in a manner to be more clearly described hereinafter.

The top plate 4 is further provided with means for facilitating the attachment of the burner compartment member 2 thereto, as will be explained hereinafter, and such means may be in the form of slots 9 positioned to receive complemental attachment features carried by the burner compartment member.

The base member 1, at the bottom thereof may be provided with corner extensions such as 1) to serve as feet. These extensions may be pointed as shown to facilitate the entry thereof into the ground when the apparatus is used out-of-doors. When used indoors, the pointed ex termities of the legs lil may be pushed into rubber or the like discs or blocks 11, so that the device may be supported on a table or other article of furniture.

The base member 1 may be conveniently made of metal and the top 4 and the side panels 5 thereof appropriately secured together in any convenient manner, as by welding or riveting, as shown at 12.

The base 1 may be of any convenient height, and transverse dimensions, but preferably the dimension from the top plate 4 to the lower edges 5a of the side panels 5 should be suiicient to completely house and conceal the fuel cartridge of the burner unit 3, as will appear later herein. Preferably, the side wall panels 5 are of a length so that when the base 1 is telescopically associated with the burner compartment 2, as will be hereinafter described, the side walls 5 of the base will overlap the side panels of the burner compartment member substantially throughout their length. Furthermore, the legs or extensions 10 should be of a length to insure that the lower edges 5a of the side panels 5 are out of contact with the ground or other supporting surface.

As will appear later, it is also important that the inner transverse dimensions of the base 1 be `such as to telescopically receive the upper burner compartment member 2, for packing and storage purposes, and that the slots 9 be symmetrically arranged in the top plate 4, so that, when the parts are packed for storage these slots will accommodate the complemental members on the upper burner compartment 2, all of which will be fully explained later herein.

Burner Compartment The burner compartment member 2 comprises an upper metal cooking top plate 13 provided with louvers or slots 14. The cooking plate 13 is preferably of transverse dimensions corresponding generally to outer transverse dimensions of the base 1, to facilitate packing as will be explained.

The top cooking plate 13 has secured to its under surface 15 suitable transverse frame members 16, which as shown at 17, are inset from the respective outer edges 1S of the plate 13. Extending downwardly from the frame members 16, at the connected ends thereof, are vertical frame members 19, which in turn, are connected at the lower ends by transverse frame members 21). Thus, the transverse frames 16 and 20 and the vertical frames 19, as described, form open or skeleton panels which support glass, plastic or similar transparent panes 21, the latter being individually framed as at 22, which frames are secured as by welding at 23 to the inner faces of the respective skeleton panels.

The plate 13 is shown in FIG. 2 as being four sided, with the burner compartment enclosed by four glass side panels. While the number of sides to the compartment is optional, it should be noted that one side panel should be movably mounted in order to provide access to the compartment to adjust and light the burner. With this in mind, upper horizontal panel shown in FIG. 2, is made in the form of a hinged door 24, the upper horizontal frame member 25 of which is hingedly connected to the under surface of the top 13, as at 26, in a manner so that the frame of said door 24 will abut in closed position, the vertical frame member 19-19 of the adjacent side panels as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Any suitable form of latching detent 27 may be formed or secured to the upper surface of the top plate 4 of the base 1 to releasably retain the door in closed position. A knob or handle 28 is provided as shown.

Having in mind the door construction, as described, may leave the lower ends of the upright frame members 19 on either side of the door or panel opening unrestrained against relative lateral movement, a lower cross brace member 29 may be connected to these members as shown in FIG. 3.

As previously mentioned herein, the burner compartment member 2, carries complemental fastening members to engage and tit within the slots 9 of the top plate 4. These fastening members are shown at 30 in the form of lugs secured to or carried by the lower transverse frame members 211, and by the cross brace member 29, at the opening which is closed by the hinged panel or door 24. With the lugs 30 thus engaged in the slots 9, the burner compartment 2 is properly and safely positioned for use.

Burner Unit The burner unit 3 comprises a fuel cartridge 31, a carrier thereof, indicated generally at 32, and a burner cap as shown generally at 33. The apparatus of the invention. is designed to burn LP gas and particularly in the convenient form now marketed in cans or cartridges having a puncturable tip or nozzle 34. This is a well-known article of commerce and per se forms no part of the present invention. A full description of such a fuel car- 4 tridge will be found in U.S. Patent No. 2,683,484, and is presently marketed by the Coleman C0., Inc., of Wichita, Kansas for use with fuel burning equipment they manufacture. The cartridge is in the form of a can generally 3" in diameter and 5 in overall height.

As shown in FIG. 1, the burner unit 3 is supported within the burner compartment 2 by a carrier or support device including a bottom bar or plate 35 dimensioned to underlie and support the bottom of the fuel cartridge 31. At opposite ends of the bar or at diametrically opposite points on the circumference of the bottom plate 35 are attached upstanding rods or bars 36, and these rods at their upper ends 37 are connected to a transverse member 38 having a central opening 39 to take the top or neck 40 of the fuel cartridge 31, and other apertures 41 adjacent to the ends of the bar which are disposed to be engaged by threaded terminal portions 42 on the rods 35. The bar 38 may thus be secured in place by thumb screws 43, to retain the cartridge within the carrier 32.

The carrier 32 with the cartridge 31 associated therewith as described is arranged to be adjustably supported on the top plate 4 of the base 1, by a support plate 44, shown more in detail in FIG. 4. The support plate 44 is of a transverse dimension so that it will span the opening 3 in the plate 4 as shown in FIG. 1 and is provided with a central opening 45 of a size to snugly iit the outer dimension of the cartridge 31 and at diametrically opposite points the wall of said opening 45 is provided with notches 45 to receive the rods 36, when the cartridge and carrier are entered in the opening 45 as shown. The rods 36 at longitudinally spaced points are provided with notches or slots 47 arranged in horizontally disposed pairs. The notches 47 are dimensioned to receive the edge of the support plate, so that when the rods 36 are disposed within the notches 46, with the slots 47 aligned horizontally with the plate 44, the cartridge and carrier may be turned about the axis of the cartridge to move the rods 36 out of alignment with the notches 46 and thus dispose the shoulders 43, defined by the slots 47, in overlying supporting relation to the upper surface of the plate 44. The opening in the top plate 4 of the base 1, is dimensioned to receive the cartridge and carrier, as shown in FIG. 1 so that the carrier 32 with the cartridge 31 mounted therein may be disposed therein with the support plate 44 resting on and supported by the top plate 4 of the base.

Mounted upon the transverse member 38 and secured thereto is a burner head or cap shown at 33. The burner head is provided with a hollow shank or needle 49 designed to be pushed through the nipple or diaphragm 34, in a conventional manner, and thereby allow the pressurized fuel within the cartridge 31 to escape into burner head, which comprises a hollow body 50 with which the upper end of the shank or needle 49 communicates. Intermediate the hollow mixing chamber 51 of the burner head and the lower end of the needle 49 there is provided a control valve 52 having a threaded stem 53 and an operating knob 54. If desired one or more air ducts 55 may be provided in the body 50 to provide air for a proper combustible mixture. The body 50 is provided with a generally centrally disposed upstanding nipple 56, to which is threadedly attached a burner cap 57 having a centrally disposed gas outlet 58, all of which is clearly shown in FIG. 5.

By having the support plate 44 disposed for angular adjustment about the axis of the cartridge 31, the burner unit may be readily positioned within the burner compartment 2, to properly dispose the valve knob 54, for manipulation through the door 24.

The burner cap shown in FIG. 5 is provided with but a single gas port 58 and is thus adapted primarily to function as an illuminating burner as distinguished from a cooking or heating burner. When using this burner cap the burner unit 3 is preferably disposed as shown particularly in FIG. 1 with the support plate 44 associated with one uppermost pair of slots or notches 47. This tends to dispose the flame 59, generally centrally within the burner compartment 2, as shown.

When it is desired to use the apparatus for light cooking or heating, the burner cap 57 may be replaced by the cap shown at 60 in FIG. 6. The cap 60 is provided with a plurality of laterally directed gas ports 61 as well as the central port 62 so as to provide for burning a greater quantity of fuel than is possible with the burner cap 57 of FIG. 5. When utilizing the apparatus for cooking and/ or heating with the burner cap 60 of FIG. 6, it may be desirable to move the support plate 44 to the lower set of notches 47, thereby to place the burner head and flame closer to the cooking plate 13. Other than for the increased number and dispositions of gas ports the burner head 6i) is similar to burner head 57.

A further modication of the burner head is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the central cylindrical nipple 63 is unthreaded and is entered into a correspondingly shaped recess in a burner cap 64, having a top central gas port 65. The annular flange 66 of the burner cap 64, is, as shown, provided with plural laterally directed gas ports 67, which, by proper angular adjustment of the cap 64 on the nipple 63, brings the ports 67 into or out of alignment with similar ports or passages 68 in the nipple 63. By this arrangement the burner may be converted from a single port burner (similar to that shown in FIG. 5) to a multiple port burner (similar to that shown in FIG. 6).

A modiiied form of carrier for the fuel cartridge is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In this form the carrier is designed as a box-like container 69 generally rectangular in cross section and dimensioned to receive snugly a fuel cartridge 70. The upper edge portion of the container is provided with plural upstanding bolt members 71 which serve t0 hold in place a cover member 72, by means of thumb nuts 73. A burner unit 74 may be associated with the puncturable nipple of the cartridge in the manner previously described. The opposite corner edges 75-75 of the container may be slotted at 76 -as shown so that the container 69 with a cartridge 7i) enclosed therein may be operatively engaged with a supporting plate 77, having a square opening 77a as shown in FIG. 10, in a manner similar to that described in connection with the notched bars 36 and the supporting plate 44 of FIGS. 1 and 2. As in the first modiiication, the container 69 may have plural pairs of slots 76-76 so that the burner unit may be disposed at different elevations with respect to the cooking plate 13.

Further M odi fcatons While the door to the burner compartment has been shown in FIG. 1 as hinged at its top edge to the under surface of the cooking plate 13, said door may, if found more convenient, be hinged to swing about a vertical axis as shown in FIG. 14.

The glass side panels of the burner compartment are shown in FIG. l as comprising a separate frame 22 welded or otherwise secured to the frame members 16, 19 and 20, may be constructed by modifying the frame members 16, 19 yand 2t) as shown in FIG. 15 where the vertical and horizontal frame members 119 and 121) respectively are shown channel shaped in cross section, so that the glass panes 121 may be mounted directly in these frame members together with suitable backing 122. In this form of construction, one of the glass panes could be developed to function as a sliding door by providing one of the vertical frame members 119 with ya vertical slot dimensioned to permit withdrawal of the pane 121.

Furthermore, the burner unit hereinbefore described as including a LP cartridge, might well be modified to include a liquid fuel container 131 of similar size and shape to the LP container 31, said liquid fuel container as shown in FIG. 16 being provided with an externally threaded neck portion 132 to which, in use, is attached a conventional wick burner cap 133 carrying a Wick 134 which may be adjusted in a conventional manner by a control shaft 13S having means interengaged with the wick by which the wickmay be r-aised or lowered in a conventional manner. Normally, the container 131 may be provided with a conventional `screw closure cap not shown.

With the stove-lantern has, for convenience, been illustrated as generally rectangular in cross section, it is of course obvious that the base and/ or the combustion chamber member may be made of other shapes (such as circular, or triangular) if desired, and alsol the legs or feet 10 of the apparatus might readily be made detachable or collapsible instead of integral as shown, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Storage and Shipping Kit The storage and shipping kit, an important part of my invention is designed to facilitate dismantling of the apparatus and arranging it in compact nested relation, together with specially designed containers for storing and/ or shipping the same. To this end the lower base 1 and the upper burner compartment are dimensioned to be telescopically engaged with one another when dismantled. Thus, as previously stated, the interior transverse dimensions of the base member 1 are such as to permit snug telescopic engagement of these members as shown in FIG. 13, wherein the burner compartment member 2 is shown disposed Within an outer container 78, said container including a bottom 79 and perimetrically disposed upstanding side walls 80 connected to said bottom 79. The transverse dimensions of the container 78 are substantially the same as those of the cooking top 13, and the container has a depth corresponding to the overall vertical height of the burner compartment 2, including the lugs 3l) so that the burner compartment member 2 may Ibe disposed within said container in an inverted position as shown in FIG. 13 with the lugs 30 disposed substantially Vat the level of the upper ends of the side walls 8i) of said container. Due to the fact that the side panels of the burner compartment 2 are inset with respect to the outer edges of the cooking top 13 as shown at 17 and 18 in FIGS. l and 13, there is provided a space or clearance 81 between the side walls 80 and the side panels of the burner compartment member, into which the side walls 5 of the base member 1 may lit, when the base member is placed in said container 78, as shown in FIG. 13. Due to the symmetrical disposition of the lugs 30 and slots 9 as previously described, the lugs 30 will pass through said slots as shown, thus permitting the members 1 and 2 to be compactly nested as shown.

The members 1 and 2 as thus nested provide interior utilizable space' and this is used to house an inner compartmented container 82, see FIG. 12. The inner contamer 82 is dimensioned to fit snugly within the space enclosed by the burner compartment member, and may be placed therein before the base member 1 is telescopically engaged with the member 2. Before telescopically intertting the base and burner compartment member, the support plate 44 or 77 may be deposited inthe bottom of the space enclosed by the side panels of the burner compartment and on the upwardly facing surface of the cooking top 13 as shown in FIG. 13. If desired, however, .the plate 44 (or 77) may be placed in the inner container 82 over the cartridges therein, or otherwise as found most expedient.

The inner container 82. is provided with transverse vertically extending partitions 83 which are arranged to d1v1de the interior of the container into four compartments 84, open at the top as shown. Each compartment 84 is dimensioned transversely to receive snugly a fuel cartridge 31. Thus an ample supply of fuel may be conveniently packed for storage and/or shipment, together with the stove-lantern apparatus.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and l2, a carrier or support unit shown generally at 85 may be associated with a car- 7 tridge in one of said compartments, and said unit may include a burner head as shown at 36. It will of course be understood that the carrier unit indicated at 85 may be either of the type shown in FIG. l or FIG. 9 and the burner head shown at 86, may be either of the burner heads shown in FIGS. 5, 6 or 7. It will be noted that the compartments 84, and the inner container 82 are of a height to provide above the fuel cartridges housed therein, suficient space to receive and house the rubber feet 11, as well as spare burner heads or different type burner heads or cap as hereinbefore described. While the inner container is shown open at the top for convenience, it could of course be provided with a conventional slip type cover, or with the usual cover iiaps provided on conventional corrugated packing boxes, if desired. Also, any suitable packing material such as crushed paper or a piece of soft cloth (to be utilized for wiping or cleaning parts of the apparatus) could be disposed in the spaced above the articles or stored in the compartment of the inner container 82 and the top 87 of the outer container (or the top of the inner container if one is provided).

The outer container 78 may be closed by a cover member 37. Both the inner and outer containers may be made of corrugated board, wood, plastic, metal, or the like, and the cover 87 may be applied and secured to the container 7S in any conventional manner. Thus the cover 87 may be a conventional slip type cover, a. hinged cover, or comprise a plurality of superposed flaps carried by the side wall 80 and sealed together as is conventional with corrugated paste board shipping containers. Of course, any suitable lining or packing material (not shown) could be used within the outer and/ or inner containers and the articles stored therein, if desired, to minimize movement of the articles and/or to reduce rattle. The final product as shown in FIG. 13, sealed and ready for shipping, occupies somewhat less than 1A; of a cubic foot, when the standard size LP fuel cartridges, such as herein described, are used. It will be understood that the term LP gas used herein, designates the commercial form of liquefied petroleum gas such as propane or butane, sometimes referred to as canned gas and available generally on the open market in many different forms of cans, cartridges or similar containers.

It will be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, are but for the purpose of illustrating a desirable form or forms of my invention and not for the purpose of defining the limits thereof. Therefore, I reserve the right to make changes in minor details of construction, and in the size and arrangement of parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention which is set forth clearly in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A stove-lantern apparatus comprising a base member, a combustion compartment member supported on said base member and including side panel members of light transmitting material and a louvered cooking plate, and a burner unit mounted on the base member and disposed within said combustion compartment; said burner unit including a fuel tank, a burner cap mounted on said tank and means for supplying fuel from said tank to said burner cap, said base member and said combustion compartment member being provided with interiitting, cooperating attachment members whereby the combustion compartment may be readily attached to and removed from the base member, said interfitting cooperating attachment members comprising a slot provided in one of said members and a tongue on the other of said members, the tongue and slot being dimensioned and relatively positioned so the tongue enters said slot in the assembled position of the base member and combustion compartment member.

2. A stove-lantern apparatus comprising a base member, a combustion compartment member supported on said base member and including side panel members of light transmitting material and a louvered cooking plate, and a burner unit mounted on the base member and disposed within said combustion compartment; said burner unit including a fuel tank, a burner cap mounted on said tank and means for supplying fuel from said tank to said burner cap, said base member including a top plate member having an aperture to receive said fuel tank, and laterally-extending means carried by said burner unit and engageable with the upper surface of said top plate member whereby to support the burner unit within the combustion compartment in operative relation to the louvered cooking plate.

3. The apparatus described in claim 2 including means for disposing said laterally-extending means at different points longitudinally of said fuel tank thereby to position the burner cap at different elevations above the -top plate of the base member and thus variably position the burner cap with respect to the cooking top.

4. A stove-lantern apparatus comprising a base member, a combustion compartment member supported on said base member and including side panel members of light transmitting material and a louvered cooking plate, and a burner unit mounted on the base member and disposed within said combustion compartment; said burner unit including a fuel tank, a burner cap mounted on said tank and means for supplying fuel from said tank to said burner cap, said fuel tank being an LP gas cartridge having a puncturable sealing diaphragm and wherein said burner cap includes a hollow needle adapted to puncture said sealing diaphragm of a gas cartridge to deliver gaseous fuel from said cartridge to said burner cap.

5. The stove-lantern apparatus comprising a base member, a combustion compartment member supported on said base member and including side panel members of light transmitting material and a louvered cooking plate, and a burner unit mounted on the base member and disposed within said combustion compartment; said burner unit including a fuel tank, a burner cap mounted on said tank and means for supplying fuel from said tank to said burner cap, one of said panels defining said combustion compartment member being movably mounted on said combustion compartment member whereby to provide means of access to said burner unit.

6. In a combustion apparatus including means defining a combustion compartment, a base member on which the combustion compartment is mounted, a burner unit, and means for supporting the burner unit on said base member within the combustion compartment, said burner unit including an LP gas cartridge, a burner cap mounted thereon and a carrier member for the gas cartridge; said supporting means for the burner unit including a supporting plate detachably connected to the carrier member and extending lat erally therefrom, said supporting plate and said carrier member including cooperating, interengaging means for adjustably positioning the burner cap at different elevations above the supporting plate.

7. The apparatus described in claim 6 wherein said carrier member includes a base underlying the LP gas cartridge and supporting the same from beneath, together with circumferentially spaced, upwardly extending rod members carried by said base, and wherein said cooperating, interengaging means includes a longitudinally extending series of spaced shoulders formed on said rods and arranged in horizontally aligned pairs to engage said supporting plate whereby to adjustably position the burner cap within the combustion compartment.

8. The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein said shoulders are defined by the respective upper Walls of slots formed in said rods and extending transversely thereof.

9. The apparatus described in claim 6 wherein said gas cartridge carrier member comprises a casing having a bottom and upstanding side walls angularly disposed with respect to one another and adapted to receive a gas cartridge in upright position, said walls being joined to provide longitudinally extending corner edges, oppo- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Betts May 23, 1893 Wilder July 17, 1900 10 Bryan Jan. 17, 1905 Ball Jan. 22, 1918 Guedon May 12, 1953 Peterson Ian. 19, 1954 Falligant July 13, 1954 Ross Mar. 4, 1958 Benda Aug. 5, 1958 Weatherwax Sept. 16, 1958 Brender Ian. 26, 1960 

1. A STOVE-LANTERN APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER, A COMBUSTION COMPARTMENT MEMBER SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE MEMBER AND INCLUDING SIDE PANEL MEMBERS OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING MATERIAL AND A LOUVERED COOKING PLATE, AND A BURNER UNIT MOUNTED ON THE BASE MEMBER AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID COMBUSTION COMPARTMENT; SAID BURNER UNIT INCLUDING A FUEL TANK, A BURNER CAP MOUNTED ON SAID TANK AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL FROM SAID TANK TO SAID BURNER CAP, SAID BASE MEMBER AND SAID COMBUSTION COMPARTMENT MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH INTERFITTING, COOPERATING ATTACHMENT MEMBERS WHEREBY THE COMBUSTION COMPARTMENT MAY BE READILY ATTACHED TO AND REMOVED FROM THE BASE MEMBER, SAID INTERFITTING COOPERATING ATTACHMENT MEMBERS COMPRISING A SLOT PROVIDED IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND A TONGUE ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS, THE TONGUE AND SLOT BEING DIMENSIONED AND RELATIVELY POSITIONED SO THE TONGUE ENTERS SAID SLOT IN THE ASSEMBLED POSITION OF THE BASE MEMBER AND COMBUSTION COMPARTMENT MEMBER. 